The 16th annual Spirit of Shrewsbury Festival initially received an ominous herald with the supposedly impending heavy rainfall in the region. Gloomy clouds have enveloped much of the sky throughout the weekend, yet fate intervened in its most auspicious timing.
It nearly dampened the community spirits of the townsfolk when the news forecast promised a certain climate in the awaited event. But as hundreds of the inhabitants across the region gathered around Oak Middle School lawn during Saturday, the rain seemed to stay clear from the jovial vicinity. It initiated the first leg of the entire festival duration. The Oak Street Expo has featured friendly information regarding the things residents would love to know in terms of community livelihood. Over one hundred local organizations, local businesses and school groups were explicitly highlighted as testament and celebration of community spirit. Other than fun seminars that cater to strictly to adults, a more general and concrete definition of merriment featured games and entertainment intended to occupy the lively children and their families
The president of Spirit of Shrewsbury organization, Sabina Terrades, also commented on the positive outcome of the opening phase of the festival. “We had hundreds of exhibitors. It was crowded”
Last year’s Oak Street Expo marred the memories of the participants as the rain washed out whatever stood for the positive atmosphere of the event. In order to avoid such an unpleasant occurrence from happening again, the organizers in the Spirit of Shrewsbury Committee ensured tents at the anticipated outcome of the similar forecast. But the annual craft fair, a part and parcel of the Oak Street Expo day, garnered a huge number of attendants.
Despite the copious overcast, rain is still scarce and it took until Sunday afternoon to fulfil what meteorological authorities initially predicted for weekend schedule. But it did not deter the small attendants of the annual parade from Beal School to Oak Middle School. However, the procession received much warmer cheers of jubilation as the concentrated crowd of residents in Maple Avenue welcomed their local stars.
The festival also featured other forms of mass celebration including the children’s pancake breakfast and the annual 5k road race and fun run. It also included open houses in Shrewsbury Historical Society and Artemis Ward barn, which garnered over hundreds of resident attendants throughout the region this weekend.
A 50-year long resident of Shrewsbury named Elaine Leblanc was known to have donated food bales to needy families in the 1970’s under the coordination of St. Anne’s Human Services. Other than leading the procession during the parade, she performed what she always does best as a charity movement volunteer. The long humanitarian tradition was relived in the festival’s recurring theme called Neighbors Helping Neighbors. An economy retails store in St. Anne’s Church, one of which belong under Leblanc’s humanitarian projects; provided food and necessary provisions for the destitute residents.
It was rather quite unfortunate that the two events: the annual Scarecrows on the Common Display and Light the Spirit Display, were cancelled due to an environmental advisory regarding a mosquito-borne illness threat. But nonetheless, the town’s spirits were aptly lifted in the end, and the festival was a success.
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